A New Beginning for an Old City

Daytona Beach, the “World’s Most Famous Beach,” is best known for its wide, white-sand beaches. These hard-packed sand beaches hosted car races in the 1920s which led to the foundation of NASCAR. Today the hard-packed beaches allow the unique experience of driving to your favorite surf spot. Nestled just north of Cape Canaveral on Florida’s east coast, the city boasts year round mild weather with easy access to the Atlantic Ocean, the intracoastal river, and natural springs. Thousands of visitors come to Daytona Beach each year to enjoy the beautiful beaches, partake in the Daytona 500 experience, or cruise on historic A1A during Bike Week.

Daytona Beach’s primarily tourism driven economy was greatly affected by the economic recession of the 2010’s. An already aged infrastructure and the failing economy lead to the historic ocean and river front areas of the city becoming dilapidated. However, the economic lull provided an opportunity for investors and city leaders to revitalize the city. Daytona Beach and the surrounding areas are in the midst of a master plan to breathe new life into the area.

A multi-million dollar rejuvenation of the historic waterfront areas, including Beach Street and the Main Street Pier, is underway, which includes adding entertainment venues and rehabilitating classic hotels. The city also has plans to gentrify housing sections near the river and ocean, and an expansive 6900 home senior-living development, Latitude Margaritaville is in the construction phase.

An Aging Demographic

As the Baby-Boomer generation ages, the need for senior-friendly living arrangement increases. It is expected that the population of persons over the age of 65 years will grow by nearly 30 million in the next 20 years, resulting in one out of three households being led by a person in this age group. Nursing homes and other traditional senior-living arrangements are less sought after as in-home care gains popularity. These trends create a demand for single-family homes that are affordable and accessible. Like many coastal Florida cities, Daytona Beach is a retirement destination. Florida has seen a 2.1-percent increase in persons 65 years-of-age and older between 2010 and 2014, giving a total of 4 million persons in this age bracket and is expected to continue growing.

Baby Boomers and Generation X are more likely to care about sustainability and green living than past generations. As the need for senior housing increases, there should be a conscious effort to meet the green demands of the ageing population. The goal of The BEACH House is to provide an energy-efficient and sustainable housing option for current and future seniors.

Team Daytona Beach is always looking for additional partners, whether they are individuals or organizational partners from industry or the community. We accept in-kind and cash donations at all levels.